Improved mounting construction for overhead door latch



Nov. 13, 1956 w. A. SMITH 2,770,005

IMPROVED MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION FOR OVERHEAD DOOR LATCH Filed March 24, 1955 M /IO v INVENTOR. W5LY /7. 5/ 4/71,

IMPROVED MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION FOR OVERHEAD DOOR LATCH Wesley A. Smith, West Palm Beach,

Fla, assignor to Tilt-A-Door Corporation,

Detroit, Mich., a corpora- This invention relates to an improved mounting structure for a safety latch of the type which automatically engages and positively holds a horizontally pivoted garage door in an open position. This invention is an improvement in the structure disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,579,621.

While the safety latch disclosed and claimed in the above mentioned patent performs its function in a highly satisfactory manner, experience has shown that it is difli cult to properly adjust the position of the door and latch so as to secure a proper vertical, or closed, position for the door as well as a proper horizontal, or open, position thereof. As a result, many man hours of skilled labor are required to properly install a door constructed in accordance with the teachings of the above-mentioned patent. It is also necessary to ship the safety latch and mounting device disclosed in my prior patent detached from the door because of the awkward shape thereof. This results in additional cost in shipping and installing the door.

Further, in the use of the above-mentioned structure, it frequently happens that the door is carelessly raised with an undue amount of force. This causes the lock pin to engage the latch with extreme force which in turn causes the parts of the latch and mounting structure to come out of adjustment, to wear at a rapid rate and in certain instances to break ofi. It is not feasible to provide anykind of shock absorbing means on the structure disclosed in the above-mentioned patent.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved mounting structure for a safety latch, which is capable of rapid and easy adjustment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mounting structure for a garage door safety latch which may be installed on the door before shipment from the factory and quickly assembled at its point of use by unskilled labor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved mounting structure for a garage door safety latch which is capable of absorbing shocks imposed on the latch.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those with a knowledge of equipment of this type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the invention mounted on the vertical jamb of a garage door frame.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line IIII of Figure 1 and showing the door in its raised position in broken lines.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Figure 1.

In general In meeting the objects and purposes above set forth as well as others related thereto, there is provided, in general, a pivotally mounted arm which supports the latch at its free end. The pivot axis of the arm may be ad- Patented Nov. 13, 1956 justed vertically and the angle which the arm makes with respect to the horizontal can also be changed. A shock absorber is mounted to absorb shocks imposed on the free end of the pivotally mounted arm.

The safety latch and mounting structure therefore Which is the subject of this invention is illustrated as being installed on the right hand jamb of the garage door frame as viewed from the inside of the garage. It will be apparent that this structure will also be mounted on the left hand jamb in a complete installation. The garage door is preferably, but not necessarily, of the type which is pivotally supported by any suitable horizontal hinge means and is provided with a counterweight within the top end of the door.

Detailed description A door 10 is mounted for pivotal movement about hinge pin 11. A plate 12, mounted on the vertical side surface of the door 10 by bolt 13, supports an outwardly projecting locking pin 14.

A hanger i6 is mounted on the vertical jamb member 17 by suitable fastening means, such as bolts 18. The hanger has a reversely curved portion 19 at its upper end. A flange 20 is provided at the end of the reversely curved portion 19 projecting backwardly toward the main portion of the hanger. The reversely curved portion 19 and the flange 20 define a track for guiding the movement of the hinge pin 11, as described in more detail hereinbelow. Vertical adjusting bolts 21 and 22 extend through openings in the reversely curved portion 19 and flange 20, respectively, and engage the hinge pin and pivot arm for adjusting the vertical position thereof. The lower end of the hanger 16 is formed with a flange 23 lying at an angle to the main body of the hanger. The angle between the flange and the main body of the hanger will vary somewhat depending on the length of the pivot arm. In one commercial embodiment, the angle was degrees. A

A shock absorber 24 which may, for example, be made of neoprene, is mounted on the upper surface of flange 23. A similar shock absorber may be mounted on the lower surface of flange 23 if desired. A washer 26 engages the shock absorber.

An adjusting rod 25 passes through openings in the washer 26, shock absorber 24 and flange 23. The adjusting rod is provided with a fixed collar 27 bearing against the washer 26. The end of the rod 25 is threaded and receives a friction nut 28 which is adjusted so that the collar 27 bears firmly against the Washer 26.

The other end of the adjusting rod 25, which is also threaded, passes through an opening in the web 29 (Figure 3) of a bifurcated yoke 30. A pair of nuts 31 and 32 on the threaded portion of the rod engage the web on the opposite sides thereof.

A pivot arm 36 is formed by a pair of legs 37 and 38 and a connecting bight 39. As shown, the legs 37 and 38 are spaced a greater distance apart adjacent the pivot axis of the arm and converge toward each other for a limited distance as they extend away from said pivot axis. A tube 41 extends through aligned openings in the legs 37 and 38 and is fixedly positioned thereon by suitable means, such as by peening the ends of the tube. The tube 41 slidably surrounds and is co-axial with the hinge pin 11. The ends of adjusting bolts 21 and 22 contact the upper and lower portions of the outer surface of the tube 41 for adjusting the position of the tube 41, and hinge pin 11, in the track.

The legs 42 and 43 of the bifurcated yoke 30 are disposed adjacent the outer surface of legs 37 and 38, respectively. A hooked catch 44 is positioned adjacent leg 42 at the outer end thereof; A step bolt 46 extends through openings in the hooked catch 44, legs 42 and 43 of the bifurcated yoke 30 and legs 37 and 38 of the pivot arm 36. Nut 47 engages the threaded portion of bolt 46 to hold the elements mounted thereon in assembled relationship. Thrust shims 48 are mounted on the bolt between legs 37 and 38 of the pivot arm. Washers 49 are mounted on the bolt 46 between leg 42 and the hooked catch 44.

A cord 51 is secured to the hooked catch 44 by screw eyelet t) and passes through a guide 52 on the door for actuating the hooked catch in the manner described in my above-mentioned patent.

The hooked catch 44 is constructed in the same manner and cooperates with lock pin 14 in the same way as described in my above-mentioned patent. As shown in Figure 2 wherein the door and lock pin 14 are shown in their raised open position, the lock pin 14 enters within the hook portion of the catch 44 and is firmly but releasably engaged thereby. Since the details of construction and manner of operation of this catch do not form a part of this invention and since they are adequately disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, such details will not be described herein.

The hanger i6, pivot arm 36 and adjusting rod may conveniently be attached to the hinge pin 11 for the garage door it) at the factory. At this time the lower end of rod 25 will not be fixed in position on the flange 23. Consequently the arm 36 and rod 25 and parts connected thereto will hang down along the side of the door. When the door reaches its point of use, the installation thereof will begin by fastening the hanger 16 to the vertical jamb of the door frame. The lower end of rod 25 may then be passed through the shock absorber 24 and flange 23, and the collar 27 engaged by the washer 26. The nut 28 may then be threaded on the rod to fix the lower end thereof in position. The adjusting bolts 21 and 22 may be quickly and easily adjusted to place the door in proper vertical position. In order to insure that the door will be in horizontal position when the door is open and lock pin 14 is engaging hooked catch 44, the position of the hooked catch is adjusted by adjusting the position of the free end of pivot arm 36. Such adjustment may be easily and conveniently accomplished by rotating the adjusting rod 25 to change the effective length of said rod and thereby change the angle between said arm 36 and the horizontal.

Although particular, preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed hereinabove for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications thereof which lie within the scope of said invention as defined in the appended claims are fully contemplated herein.

I claim:

1. In an overhead, horizontally pivoted, door construction, including a door frame, a hinge pin on said door and a latch for said door, the combination, with said door construction, of an improved mounting construction for said latch, comprising: an arm having one of its ends pivotally mounted on said hinge pin; means adjacent to said door frame and fixed with respect thereto for adjusting the vertical position of said hinge pin and said one end of said arm relative to said door frame;

said latch being mounted on the other end of said arm;

means engaging said other end of said arm for pivoting said arm to cause same to assume different positions of angularity with respectto said door frame.

2. In an overhead, horizontally pivoted, door construction, including a door frame, a hinge pin on said door and a latch for said door, the combination, with said door construction, of an improved mounting construction for said latch, comprising: a hanger secured to said door frame, said. hanger including a track portion, said hinge pin being mounted in said track portion; means to adjust the position of said hinge pin in said track portion; means pivotally mounted on said hinge pin and extending away from said pin, said latch being mounted on said pivotally mounted means; a rod' mounted on said hanger at a point spaced from said track, said rod extending away from said hanger and engaging said pivotally mounted means outwardly of said hanger; and means to adjust the length of said rod between said hanger and said pivotally mounted means.

3. The combination of claim 2, including: said hanger having a portion extending away from said frame, said rod being mounted on said portion and extending substantially at right angles thereto; and shock absorbing means positioned between said rod and said portion.

4. In an overhead, horizontally pivoted, door construction, including a door frame, a hinge pin on said door and a latch for said door, the combination, with said door construction, of an improved mounting construction for said latch, comprising: means pivotally mounted on said hinge pin and extending away from said pin; means fixed to said door frame to adjust the vertical position of said hinge pin relative to said door frame; said latch being mounted on said pivotally mounted means at a.

point thereon spaced from. said hinge pin; and means connected to said pivotally mounted means for pivoting said pivotally mounted means tov cause the same to assume different positions ofv angularity with respect to said door frame.

5. In an overhead, horizontally pivoted, door construction, including a door frame, a hinge pin on said door and a latch for said door, the combination, with saiddoor construction, of an improved mounting construction for said latch, comprising: a hanger mounted on said frame and having a guide track at the upper end thereof, [said hinge pin extending within said track; an arm pivotally mounted on said hinge pin and extending away from said frame;.rneans for adjusting the position of said hinge pin in said track; said. hanger at its. lower end having a flange extending. away from-said frame; an adjusting. rod having one of its ends mounted on said flange and extending, ata substantially right angle thereto; shock absorbinglmeans mounted. between said one end of said rod and saidflange; a bifurcated yoke adjustably mounted on. the other end of said v rod, the legs of said yoke extending on opposite sides of said arm; a

shaft connected to said legs and extending through said arm; said latch being pivotally mounted on saidshaft and being capable of engaging a locking pin carried by said door. I

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,579,621

Great Britain May 6, 1949 

